Universal joint



Oct.

G. T.V SMITH-CLARKE UNivERsAL QTOINT Filed Feb. l5. 1925 @LAME ww@ fr...

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` tively, having y Patented .0a. 26, 19.26.l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE THOMAS SMITH-CLARKE, OE COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALVIS CAR & ENGINEERING COMPANY, LIMITED, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND, A

BRITISH COMPANY.

Application vled February 13, 1925, Serial No This invention relates to universal joints, prising a cross or starpiece, ch are engaged by forks or shafts through the bearings adapted to (lateral) and end of thekind com the ends of whi the like on the respective medium of antifriction 1 withstand both 'radial thrust, and of the kind jadjustment will take up directions.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

in` which a single wear 1n both these In a known construction of this kind the ends of the cross or st threaded to receive the arpiece were screwadjustable cones of a ball bearing and extended through cups provided in recesses in separate cap closing the ingV the cone and balls wit the forked jaws, a recess, thus shieldhin it and forming also a receptacle for lubricant, while'packing rings have been pro vided to form fluidtight joints between the cross or starpieee and the forked jaws. The princi vention is to provide a cons hasAx fewer parts than' the ab quently is cheaper and simpl ture.

pal object of the present intruetion which OVG er to manufac- According to this invention, inne'iraces for balls or'taper rollers are formed directly upon the ends of the arms of the cross 'or starpie adjustable caps screw forks. of the shaft.

bearing is provided, parts, and lubricant a is concentrated aroun ce, and outer races are formed in -threaded rThus a very compact with a minimum of pplied to the bearing d the races instead of into the lying idly in a cavity remote from them. FurthermoreJthe joint is very easy to assemble because when one or both caps are removed there is ample room in the holes `provided for them vmovement by which is brought intopositi l In the accompanyi to allow the tilting the cross or starpiece on in the forks.

ng drawings,

" Figure l is a sectional elevation of the joint -in the axial plane,

r 1 ght l of Figure I l *igure 2 is an end viewas seen from the partly in `section and with the shaft nearest to the obser ver rediagrammatic sketch showon in the ball bearing.

The tworshafts connectedby the universal jointare in forks A2 and engage the opposite arms C2 tively off; the starpiece C.

dicatod at A and B Bz .and

respecadapted to C3 respec- 8,954, and in Great Britain February 2l), 1924.

In each of the forks A2 and B2 ed a cap D having a screw-thread ment with the fork to enable it justed radially of the shaft centres.

clamp it when adjusted the forks are split at A3 and B3 and provided with tangent screws A4, B4 to close together the splits.

Vithin the caps D are provided the outer or cup races D2 of th upon the arms of the starpiece are formed the co-operating inner or cone races tween which are located the balls E. The screw engagement of the caps with the forks of the shafts not only provides for the adjustment of the'ball bearings, but it also permits accurate centralization of.` the starpiece, and thus also the alignment of the shafts A and B. When -so adjusted, any tendency for the caps D to slack back may be prevented by the provision between the split forks, in engagement with the tangent screws A4, B4, of the locking members F which have lugs F 2 adapted to engage notches D4 in the outer ends of the caps D,

thereby effectively to prevent their rotational movement. i

As will 'clearly be seen, the cup and the cone ball bearing illustratedis adapted to withstand both radial and end thrust, and furthermore centrifugal force upon-the balls does not tend to jam them in the races, as would be the case with a single track radial thrust ball bearing.

When rotating, centrifugal force causes the' lubricant to collect and be retained upon the outer ball race, so4 that eiiicient lubrication is ensured. To prevent its leakage when the shaft is at rest packing rings G of felt or any other suitable material may be provided between the mouth of the cap D and a shoulder C5 piece C around the races thereon. Ob-

'viously, if preferred, the packing rings G could` be arranged between the respective adjacent peripheral surfaces` of the cap and the arm of the starpiece instead of as shown.

AThe. lubricant can be introduced into the caps D by means of suitable nozzles provided at their outer-ends.

, By an obtfious modification of the above described arrangement of the ball races-the cup races may bev formed at C8 lin the ends of the starpiece, and the. cone races may be formed at-"D3 'in the caps Das illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 3', a packing C4, be-y formed on the stare ball bearing, and

V'very high revolution speeds,

rinnot shown but similar to` G in Figure l).A

ing located between the cap D and the end of the starpiece.

As further alternative, instead of employing ball bearings, taper rollers may be employed inthe known manner adapted to withstand axial and radial thrust.

It will be evident that the invention p rovides a simple and relatively inexpensive.

loose parts at high speed;

`Whatl I claim as my invention and desire.

to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:- y v 1. In a universal joint, a star-piece comprirsing arms; each arm having an integral circumferential vlia-nge near its outer end and an annular bearing race comprising its outer end, a yoke each leg of which is in proximity to an end of an arm, a dished cap adjustably mounted in each leg of said yoke and adapted to cover the end of an arm and providing a complementary raceway with said first mentioned bearing race, anti-friction means disposed in the .raceway thus formed,

- adjustment of the it is adapted to withstand vinserted in the said openings and a resilient washer interposed between the cap rim and the flange and adapted upon cap, to be clamped or compressed between the cap rim and flange to provide a liquid seal.

2. In a universal joint a star-piece comprising arms, each arm being provided with a circumferential ange near its outer end "and an annular bearing race formed byv curvedly tapering the outer end of the arm, a yoke each leg of which is in proximity to an end o an arm, a dishedcap adjustably mounted in each leg of said yoke and adapted to cover the end of an arm and providing a., complementary raceway with said irst mentioned bearing race, anti-friction means disposed in the raceway thus formed, and a resilient washer interposed between the cap rim and the flange, said cap 'being of substantially the same diameter, as

the ange whereby it is adapted upon adjustment to clamp the washer between the flange and cap rim to provide a liquid seal.

3. Adevice according to claim 2 in which each leg of said yoke is split, and a tand gent screw in each leg adapted to fixedly secure the cap i 4the leg, said cap being provided on its exterior face with openings, and a locking member pivotally mounted upon the tangent screw and adapted to be to lock the cap in position.

In testimony. whereof I havevsigned my name to this specication. l

I fel-:ORGE lmoms lsuini i man. 1 

